Question:

I have a lot of personal information on my drives and back them up on CDs. Is there anyway to password-protect these files/folders on my computer and on CD-Rs so that no one else can view the contents? I am running Window XP Pro. Thank you for any detailed help.

Submitted by Joey D. of Montreal, Quebec, Canada



Answer:

Joey, backups are a very good thing to have, especially when your hard drive decides to die, usually at the WORST possible times, such as when you have work due or the day after the warranty expires. (Don't laugh, it happens! Been there, done that, got the T-shirt.)

As with any problem, there are usually many ways to go about solving it. The answer here has to do largely with HOW you create the backup and what you're using to create it with.

If you're simply burning the files to disc, then there's no direct way of password protecting the data. You will need to use some sort of utility. The most basic would be something along the lines of WinZip (http://www.winzip.com) or WinRAR (http://www.win-rar.com). Both of these utilities allow you to create multi-volume files that are of a maximum specific size and do allow for password protection. They're also relatively cheap. The only drawback to using these utilities - you have to create the ZIP or RAR file(s) ahead of time and then burn them to disc. The backup process can take a LONG time - especially if you're creating a LARGE ZIP or RAR file.

By default, Windows Backup - the utility that comes with Windows XP is, as most utilities that come with versions of Windows, only a very basic backup utility. It doesn't support CD or DVD drives as a backup medium. You can, of course, create a 650 or 700 MB file and save it to another hard drive and then burn the resulting file(s) to disc. Of course, using the Windows Backup utility doesn't really give you the ability to put a cap on the resulting file's size. Nor does it do password protection very well, except it has a setting that makes the file only accessible to Administrators. Fat lot of good that is given that most basic installations of Windows create the default user as an administrator. So, given this, the backup is available to just about any computer with Windows installed.

Most of your better professional grade backup utilities will allow you to do a backup with a password. Some will support writing data to CD or DVD, however, most require a tape drive or tape library for backups. But they can also take a HUGE bite out of your wallet.

So what to do? Fortunately, there are a plethora of backup utilities available "on the cheap." Given the nasty consequences of losing your data, the backup industry has LOTS of offerings. Some are free, some are shareware. Doing a quick check of CNet's downloads section, there are over 843 available backup apps ranging from about $20.00 US and up.

A quick search of the available files resulted in one called Secura Backup Home Edition. It backs up data using 128 bit encryption AND best of all, automatically burns it to a CD or DVD. The price is reasonable at $29.95. Read more about it at http://www.cmfperception.com/securabackuphome.html

Submitted by: Pete Z. of Los Angeles, California